The first blessing of Shri Ganesha, which I think is the highest, is the wisdom– that we learn what is good for us and what is bad for us, what is constructive and what is destructive, what should we do to achieve our Self-Realization. Those people who have got wisdom are very lucky people.
Even if some people know that this is bad for them, still they do not have power to control themselves. Still they do lots of bad things which they should not do. The reason is, the power of wisdom is not there. A person who is wise does not only know what is right and wrong, but also he knows very well his own power not to do something wrong. He just does not do it.
Wisdom is a complete power within ourselves by which we try nothing; it just spontaneously works through us and we do things which are proper and right. In this wisdom, many people have risen very high in life.
For example, we’ll take the example of Kabir. Kabir was born to a weaver, they say. They don’t think he was born to him but he was found by a weaver, whatever it is. And he belonged to a Muslim family. But he realized that the Muslims as they are practising their Islam is not going to give him what he wants. He has to seek his Self, he has to know himself. So what did he do, is to go on the bank of River Ganges in Benares, and he stayed there waiting for a great realized soul called as Ramanand, Swami Ramanand. When this Swami Ramanand came back after his bath, immediately he caught hold of his feet. After bath, if somebody catches the feet of any Brahmin, he would shout at him. But he was a saint, he was not a Brahmin. He said, “My son what do you want?” He said, “Sir, give me initiation. I want Self-Realization.” And Swami Ramanand immediately agreed. All the other people said, “Sir, he is a Muslim. He is an orphan brought up in a Muslim family, how can you give realization? He’ll not accept any of the principles which look like [they’re] coming from Hindu religion.” Ramanand looked at Kabir. He could see a great seeker there. He said, “You don’t know him, I know him.” And he took him with him and Kabira became a great saint after that. He’s accepted by Hindus and Muslims. Because he had that power of wisdom, he went to a man who was not belonging to his religion, who may have not accepted him, who might have just thrown him in the river also, possibly. But he knew also through his wisdom that this man is the one who will love me, because I am a seeker of truth.
So this power of truth works not only that you know what is right and wrong, again I say, but that you just don’t do something that is wrong. Now one may say, “Mother, what is the source again, of this wisdom?” The source is Shri Ganesha. The source is Shri Ganesha, which is the giver of wisdom.
Once Shri Ganesha is insulted and He disappears behind the clouds of ignorance, then people start doing things which are unwise. This happens with many things. Supposing these days, in the democratic countries, they are not supposed to say anything about the morality, about how people should behave, what should be their relationships. They don’t try to look after the society because they think looking after the society is not our job, it’s a private affair, it’s a private thing. As a result, people take freedom into their hands and start insulting Shri Ganesh.
When Shri Ganesha is insulted, complete blockage takes place in a human being, I think. He becomes an idiot. He becomes a stupid fellow; he doesn’t understand how to go on further with wisdom. Without wisdom, whatever steps one takes is destructive.
Excerpt:
Shri Ganesha Puja. Berlin (Germany), 21 July 1993.
